Warner Bros. New Approach to Gaming Will Have to Face the…

Summary

Warner Bros. Is shifting focus to live-service, free-to-play, and mobile games despite past failures.
Players are growing tired of live-service games due to repetitive content and microtransactions.
Warner Bros. Has had more success with single-player titles like Hogwarts Legacy and LEGO games, raising questions about the new direction.

After the disappointing sales of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the CEO and president of games at Warner Bros. Has revealed that the studio is changing its approach to gaming. Instead of focusing on making more games like Hogwarts Legacy, it is going to be focusing its resources on live-service, free-to-play, and mobile experiences. While this shift makes some sense as those types of games have been doing very well, it may not end like how Warner Bros. Wants it to.

As more and more studios focus on live-service games thanks to the success of titles like Fortnite, players have become increasingly burnt out by the idea. Now, whenever a new live-service title gets announced, it is often met with much controversy across social media. On top of that, many of these titles have been forced to shut down and Warner Bros. Has struggled to even get one successful title off the ground. So, even if it successfully captures that audience, this entire approach may still hurt the studio in the long run.

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By Jared Stewart

Warner Bros' Gaming Shift Could Have Some Major Ramifications

Warner Bros. Has Not Had Much Success in the Live-Service Market

Perhaps one of the biggest signs that this new approach might not work is the fact that Warner Bros. Has not had great success in the market so far. While it has done well in the mobile market with titles like Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, its multiplayer live-service titles have fallen flat with audiences. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was supposed to be a massive new DC adventure, but it didn't quite make a splash. Additionally, MultiVersus was taken offline to prepare for a relaunch, but its player count was also dropping dramatically. Outside of that, the studio has also injected some live-service features into games like Gotham Knights and Mortal Kombat 1 with mixed results.

At the same time, Warner Bros. Recently had massive success in the single-player market with Hogwarts Legacy. That game had no multiplayer features or live-service mechanics, yet it went on to make over $1 billion. Along with that, the studio has also had great success with the LEGO franchise, which has not delved into the world of live-service titles yet. And franchises such as Hitman have had similar success without those controversial mechanics. Yet even with that success, the studio still wants to pivot to an entirely different type of game.

Players Have Become Increasingly Critical of the Entire Concept

Not only does it seem like Warner Bros. Has not had great luck bringing its iconic IPs to the live-service space, but the genre has also become shrouded in controversy these last couple of years. Gamers have become increasingly burnt out from these games that require them to devote so much of their time. Additionally, the state of microtransactions, battle passes, and price of admission have also been scrutinized. As more live-service games launch, it seems like even more of the genre's faults are put on full display.

There are also just too many live-service games out there vying for players' attention. Unless the game truly offers something different, it will often just come and go with a whimper. Many of these titles are forced to shut down shortly after release because no one is interested in them. And since they are often built around years of post-launch content, they tend to die before their potential can even be realized.

Warner Bros.' Decision to change course towards more of these types of games just sounds like an extremely risky endeavor. As more players turn their backs on the genre, it feels like a bad time to join it. Additionally, the studio has yet to prove that it is capable of releasing a stellar live-service experience. So, if it is unable to rectify that, then this entire approach may be dead before it even begins.

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Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

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Released: February 2, 2024

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Play as the Suicide Squad to take down the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes, The Justice League. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is a genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.

Featuring an original narrative set within an expansive open-world city of Metropolis, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League puts the four DC Super-Villains on a collision course with an invading alien force and DC Super Heroes who are now laser-focused on destroying the city they once vowed to protect. All the while, the Suicide Squad must be mindful of the lethal explosives implanted in their heads that could go off at the first sign of defiance.

Each squad member has their own unique moveset with enhanced traversal abilities to freely explore the dynamic open-world of Metropolis, along with a variety of weapons to customize, and skills to master.